Roofing shingles and roofing method

ABSTRACT

A roofing shingle ( 20 ) comprises a web ( 22 ) of roofing material configured with a first series of sealant material sites ( 60 ) and a second series of sealant material sites ( 62 ) provided on the roofing shingle ( 20 ). The web ( 22 ) of roofing material is configured with a length dimension (L) and a width dimension (W). The sealant material sites  60  of the first series are provided along a first axis ( 66 ) which is essentially parallel to the length dimension of the web. The sealant material sites ( 60 ) of the first series are discontinuous along the first axis ( 66 ) and separated from one another along the first axis by a first interval ( 70 ). The sealant material sites of the second series ( 62 ) are provided along a second axis ( 68 ) which is essentially parallel to the length dimension of the web and spaced apart from the first axis ( 66 ) with respect to the width dimension. The sealant material sites ( 62 ) of the second series are discontinuous along the second axis ( 68 ) and are separated from one another along the second axis ( 68 ) by a second interval ( 72 ), the second interval ( 72 ) being different than the first interval ( 70 ).

U.S. Design Pat. application ______ (attorney docket: 2334-290), filedon even date herewith, entitled “Roofing Shingle” is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention pertains to roofing shingles and methods of affixingroofing shingles to a sloped roof.

BACKGROUND

Roofing shingles are some of the most prevalent forms of roofingmaterials. Roofing shingles are particularly popular for residentialbuildings. While shingle appearance and design must be appealing,shingle manufacture and installment should be efficient and economical.

Shingle production typically involves feeding a substrate into aproduction line. In the production line, hot asphalt is applied to thesubstrate. Granules are deposited and embedded into the substrate. Thegranules which are embedded into what will be, upon installation, anexposed portion of the substrate, are often called “finish” granules,and may be of a particular color or combination of colors. Typicallyless colorful or less esthetically appealing granules are embedded intoan un-exposed or headlap portion of the substrate. The granule ladensubstrate is then cut to a package length, e.g. into a package unit,along a major dimension of the shingle. For many general purposeshingles the package unit has a number of tabs on its lower or exposedsurface which are separated by slots which extend in a minor dimension(e.g., height) of the shingle.

Large format shingles have become popular in some markets. An advantagein using large format shingles is that fewer nails are required tosecure the shingle to a roof. Examples of large format shingles include,for example, those shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,501,056;5,375,491; 5,421,134; 5,287,669; and United States Patent Publication2009/0139175.

United States Patent Publication 2009/0139175 also shows an examplewherein sealant stripes are provided on a shingle, and wherein thesealant stripes are staggered to form offset channels to facilitatedrainage. U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,063 also describes sealant stripes.

The sealant stripes may boarder a nailing zone. Other US patents thatrefer to a nailing zone or sealant stripes include U.S. Pat. Nos.6,145,265 and 6,397,546.

What is needed, therefore, and an example object of the technologydisclosed herein, is a roofing shingle that is configured to promoteboth drainage and wind resistance without excessive sealant material,and which is readily installable on a roof with essentially no shinglewaste or extensive nailing.

SUMMARY

In one of its example aspects the technology disclosed herein concerns aroofing shingle comprising a web of roofing material configured with afirst series of sealant material sites and a second series of sealantmaterial sites provided on the shingle. The web of roofing material isconfigured with a length dimension and a width dimension. The sealantmaterial sites of the first series are provided along a first axis whichis essentially parallel to the length dimension of the web. The sealantmaterial sites of the first series are discontinuous along the firstaxis and separated from one another along the first axis by a firstinterval. The sealant material sites of the second series are providedalong a second axis which is essentially parallel to the lengthdimension of the web and are spaced apart from the first axis withrespect to the width dimension. The sealant material sites of the secondseries are discontinuous along the second axis and separated from oneanother along the second axis by a second interval, the second intervalbeing different than the first interval.

In an example embodiment and mode, the second interval is greater thanthe first interval,

In an example embodiment and mode, a first edge of the shingle along thelength dimension comprises at least one cut-out to form at least onetab. With respect to the width dimension of the shingle, the secondseries of sealant material sites is farther than the first series ofsealant material sites to the first length edge of the shingle. In anexample implementation, the shingle further comprises a backing sheetsecured to a lower surface of the web, the lower surface of the webbeing opposite the face of the web. The backing sheet being is withessentially a same length dimension as the web but with a smaller widthdimension than the web. A first length edge of the backing sheet issubstantially aligned with the first length edge of the shingle and asecond length edge of the backing sheet is substantially aligned underthe web with at least an edge of the sealant material sites of thesecond series.

In an example embodiment and mode, at least one cut-out comprises acut-out length edge that is parallel to the length dimension of theshingle, and a nailing zone distance of a nailing zone in the widthdimension from the cut-out length edge to the second series of sealantmaterial sites is substantially 1.5 inches. In an exampleimplementation, with respect to the width dimension of the shingle thenailing zone is substantially six inches from the first length edge ofthe shingle.

In an example embodiment and mode, a ratio of the length dimension ofthe shingle to the width dimension of the shingle is 3:1. In an exampleimplementation, a length of the shingle along the length dimension is 42inches and a width of the shingle along the width dimension is 13inches. In an example implementation, the length of the second intervalis three inches and the length of the first interval is one inch.

In an example embodiment and mode, the sealant material sites of thefirst series and the second series have a length in the length dimensionof substantially 1 inch and a width in the width dimension ofsubstantially ⅜ inch.

In an example embodiment and mode, with respect to the length dimensiona first site of the second series of sealant material sites issubstantially aligned between neighboring first and second sites of thefirst series of sealant material sites, and a second site of the secondseries of sealant material sites which neighbors the first site of thesecond series of sealant material sites is substantially aligned betweenneighboring third and fourth sites of the first series of sealantmaterial sites.

In another of its aspects the technology disclosed herein concerns amethod of installing roofing shingles on a roof. Each of the shinglescomprises a web configured with a length dimension of L=C*I units ofmeasure, L and I being even integers of a measurement unit and C beingan odd integer of the measurement unit. The method comprises an act (1)comprising, for a first course of installation, applying an entireshingle to the underlayment of the roof. Act (2) of the methodcomprises, for each of X=2, . . . J courses of installation, J being aninteger: (a) forming from an Xth shingle, in which an Xth shingle majorportion having a length L−((X−1)*I) and an Xth shingle minor portionhaving a length L−L−((X−1)*I; (b) applying the Xth shingle major portionover at least a portion of an X−1th shingle major portion and to theunderlayment. Act (3) of the method comprises, for each of Y=J+1, . . .C courses of installation, applying one of the Xth shingle minorportions over at least a portion of course Y−1 and to the underlayment.In the method edges of the shingle major portions and shingle minorportions applied for courses 2−C are substantially aligned in the lengthdimension with an edge of the entire shingle applied for the firstcourse.

In an example embodiment and mode the measurement unit is inches.

In an example embodiment and mode the web of each shingle is configuredwith a width W in a width dimension, and wherein W=L/3.

In an example embodiment and mode each shingle comprises a first seriesof sealant material sites and a second series of sealant material sitesprovided on the shingle, and a backing sheet. The sealant material sitesof the first series is provided along a first axis which is essentiallyparallel to the length dimension of the web. The sealant material sitesof the first series are discontinuous along the first axis and separatedfrom one another along the first axis by a first interval. The sealantmaterial sites of the second series being are along a second axis whichis essentially parallel to the length dimension of the web and spacedapart from the first axis with respect to the width dimension. Thesealant material sites of the second series are discontinuous along thesecond axis and separated from one another along the second axis by asecond interval. The second interval being different than the firstinterval. The backing sheet is secured to a lower surface of the web,the lower surface of the web being opposite the face of the web. Thebacking sheet is configured with essentially a same length dimension asthe web but with a smaller width dimension than the web, a first lengthedge of the backing sheet being aligned with the first length edge ofthe shingle and a second length edge of the backing sheet beingsubstantially aligned under the web with at least an edge of the sealantmaterial sites of the second series. The at least one cut-out comprisesa cut-out length edge that is parallel to the length dimension of theshingle. In this example embodiment and mode the method furthercomprises applying the shingle major portions and the shingle minorportions of the respective courses comprises nailing the shingle majorportions and the shingle minor portions in a nailing zone of therespective shingle major portions and the shingle minor portions. Thenailing zone extends substantially 1.5 inches in the width dimensionfrom the cut-out length edge to the second series of sealant materialsites.

In another of its example aspects the technology disclosed hereinconcerns a roofing shingle comprising a web of roofing materialconfigured with a length dimension and a width dimension; and at least afirst series of sealant material sites provided on the shingle. Thesealant material sites of the first series are provided along a firstaxis which is essentially parallel to the length dimension of the web.The sealant material sites of the first series being discontinuous alongthe first axis and separated from one another along the first axis by afirst interval. A number of sealant material sites provided on theshingle is equal to or greater than 18. In an example implementation, aratio of the length dimension of the shingle to the width dimension ofthe shingle is 3:1; and the length dimension is substantially 42 inches.

In an example embodiment and mode, L=42, C=7, and I=6, and the methodfurther comprises: (i) for the first course of installation, applyingthe entire first shingle to the underlayment of the roof; (ii) for thesecond course of installation, removing a 6 inch length of a secondshingle and applying a remaining 36 inch portion of the second shingleover a portion of the first shingle and to the underlayment wherebyalong the length dimension an edge of the first shingle is substantiallyaligned with an edge of the remaining 36 inch portion of the secondshingle; (iii) for the third course of installation, removing a 12 inchlength of a third shingle and applying a remaining 30 inch portion ofthe third shingle over a portion of the 36 inch portion of the secondshingle and to the underlayment whereby along the length dimension anedge of the 36 inch portion of the second shingle is substantiallyaligned with an edge of the remaining 30 inch portion of the thirdshingle; (iv) for the fourth course of installation, removing an 18 inchlength of a fourth shingle and applying a remaining 24 inch portion ofthe fourth shingle over a portion of the 30 inch portion of the thirdshingle and to the underlayment whereby along the length dimension anedge of the 30 inch portion of the third shingle is substantiallyaligned with an edge of the remaining 24 inch portion of the fourthshingle; (v) for the fifth course of installation, applying a removed 18inch length of shingle over a portion of the 24 inch portion of thefourth shingle and to the underlayment whereby along the lengthdimension an edge of the 24 inch portion of the fourth shingle issubstantially aligned with an edge of the removed 18 inch length ofshingle; (vi) for the sixth course of installation, applying a removed12 inch length of shingle over the removed 18 inch length of shingle andto the underlayment whereby along the length dimension an edge of theremoved 18 inch length of shingle is substantially aligned with an edgeof the removed 12 inch length of shingle; and, (vii) for the seventhcourse of installation, applying a removed 6 inch length of shingle overthe removed 12 inch length of shingle and to the underlayment wherebyalong the length dimension an edge of the removed 12 inch length ofshingle is substantially aligned with an edge of the removed 6 inchlength of shingle. In an example implementation, the removed 18 inchlength of shingle is removed from the fourth shingle; the removed 12inch length of shingle is removed from the third shingle; and theremoved 6 inch length of shingle is removed from the second shingle.

In an example embodiment and mode, wherein the method further comprises,after performing acts (1)-(4), applying one or more entire shingles toeach of the C courses to abut a shingle, a shingle major portion, or ashingle minor portion already in the respective course; optionallyinstalling further courses according to acts (1)-(4); and wherein 56shingles are installed per average square with substantially no shinglewaste.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of thetechnology disclosed herein will be apparent from the following moreparticular description of preferred embodiments as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which reference characters refer to the sameparts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily toscale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles ofthe technology disclosed herein.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a roofing shingle according to a first exampleembodiment and mode.

FIG. 2 is an isometric left end view of the roofing shingle of FIG. 1,showing an application point for an installation nail.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the roofing shingle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the roofing shingle of FIG. 1

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the enlarged roofing shingle portion of FIG. 4which is shaded to show a nailing zone.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the roofing shingle of FIG. 1 and furthershowing four nails situated randomly with respect to the width of anailing zone.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the roofing shingle of FIG. 1also showing a nailing zone.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a roofing shingle according to a second exampleembodiment and mode.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a roofing shingle according to a second exampleembodiment and mode wherein one series of sealant material sites areprovided in a number and/or manner to avoid interference withnails/nailing.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pallet upon which plural packages ofshingles may be stored in an essentially square configuration.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing example acts or steps involved in ageneric mode of a roofing method.

FIG. 12 is a top view of a roof and showing installation of sevencourses of shingles in accordance with an example mode of roofingshingle installation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation and notlimitation, specific details are set forth such as particulararchitectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. in order to provide athorough understanding of the technology disclosed herein. However, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that the technologydisclosed herein may be practiced in other embodiments that depart fromthese specific details. That is, those skilled in the art will be ableto devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly describedor shown herein, embody the principles of the technology disclosedherein and are included within its spirit and scope. In some instances,detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods areomitted so as not to obscure the description of the technology disclosedherein with unnecessary detail.

FIG. 1-FIG. 3 show a roofing shingle 20 which, e.g., as describedherein, is configured to provide strong shingle-to-shingle adhesionwhile also facilitating moisture egression from between shingles, and toprovide an installation-friendly nailing zone. As also described herein,the structure and features of the roofing shingle 20 engender asubstantially waste-free shingle installation method which is relativelyoblivious to roof slope.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, roofing shingle 20 is essentiallyrectangular in overall footprint and has length dimension L and widthdimension W. In the non-limiting example embodiment and mode of FIG. 1and FIG. 2, the roofing shingle 20 comprises a web 22 of roofingmaterial which comprises an upper surface or web face 24. The roofingshingle 20 and its web 22 have a first or lower length edge 26 which,upon installation of the roofing shingle 20 on a roof, will be lower onthe roof than a second or upper length edge 27. The roofing shingle 20and its face 24 also have a left width edge 28 and right width edge 29.The first length edge 26 and second or upper length edge 27 areessentially parallel with the length dimension L; the left width edge 28and right width edge 29 are essentially parallel with the widthdimension W, and thus perpendicular to the first length edge 26 andsecond or opposite length edge 27.

In a non-limiting example embodiment and mode shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.2, the roofing shingle 20 is a laminated two-layer shingle, wherein web22 serves as a top layer and a backing sheet 30 serves as a lower layerof the two-layer laminated roofing shingle 20. The backing sheet 30 issecured to a lower surface 31 of the web 22, the lower surface of theweb being opposite the web face 24. The backing sheet 30 has a samelength along length dimension L as the web 22, with backing sheet firstlength edge 32 and backing sheet rear length edge 34, both of which areparallel to the length dimension L. The backing sheet first length edge32 is essentially aligned with the web first length edge 26, but thebacking sheet rear length edge 34 underlies an intermediate portion ofthe web 22, thereby giving the backing sheet 30 a width W′ which is lessthan W, e.g., W′<W, as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, backing sheet 40 hasessentially a same length dimension L as the web 22 but with a smallerwidth dimension W′ than the web 22. The backing sheet has a backingsheet top surface 36 and a backing sheet rear surface 38.

The first length edge 26 of the shingle comprises at least one andpreferably plural cut-outs 40. The non-limiting example of FIG. 1 showsfour full and one partial cut-out 40 (the partial cut-out being theleft-most cut-out 40 in FIG. 1). The cut-outs 40 may have a rectangularor (more preferably) a quasi-trapezodial shape. Different numbers anddifferent shapes of cut-outs 40 may be provided in other examples.Backing segments 42 of a top surface of backing sheet 30, having shapescorresponding to the cut-outs 40, are exposed through the cut-outs 40.Between adjacent cut-outs 40 a shingle tab 50 is provided on web 22.FIG. 1 shows five shingle tabs 50, but it should be understood that thenumber of cut-outs 40 and shingle tabs 50 can vary in differentembodiments. Preferably the exposed backing segments 42 have a texture,color, or pattern or type of granule application that is different orvisibly contrasting with a portion of web 22 that will be exposed uponinstallation, the exposed portion including shingle tabs 50 (see FIG.4).

The roofing shingle 20 of FIG. 1-FIG. 8 comprises a first series ofsealant material sites 60 and a second series of sealant material sites62 provided on the shingle 20. FIG. 1-FIG. 7 show the material sites 60as being provided on face 24 of shingle 20; FIG. 8 shows the materialsites as being provided on a rear surface of shingle 20(8), e.g., onbacking sheet rear surface 38.

For the embodiment of FIG. 1-FIG. 7, FIG. 4 shows an enlarged portion ofroofing shingle 20 and various relationships between the materialsealant sites of the same series and the material sealant sites ofdifferent series. The sealant material sites 60 of the first series areprovided along a first sealant axis 66 which is essentially parallel tothe length dimension L of the web 22. The sealant material sites 60 ofthe first series are discontinuous along the first sealant axis 66 andseparated from one another along the first axis 66 by a first interval70.

The sealant material sites 62 of the second series are provided along asecond sealant axis 68 which is essentially parallel to the lengthdimension L of the web 22. With respect to the width dimension W of theshingle, the second series of sealant material sites 62 is farther thanthe first series of sealant material sites 60 to the first length edge26 of the shingle, e.g., the second sealant axis 68 is farther fromfirst length edge 26 than first sealant axis 66. As such, the firstsealant axis 66 and second sealant axis 68 are spaced apart by adistance D with respect to the width dimension W. Both the first sealantaxis 66 and the second sealant axis 68 extend from the left width edge28 to the right width edge 29 of web 22.

Both the sealant material sites 60 of the first series and sealantmaterial sites 62 of the second series may comprise deposits of adhesivematerial, such as an asphalt that has been modified with a thermoplasticsuch-as; SBS Styrene-Butadiene, Rubber, Latex modifier, polyethylene,GTR (ground Tire Rubber) and polypropylene, for example. Non-asphaltsealant materials may also be utilized as the sealant material sites 60.The adhesive property of the sealant material sites 60 of the firstseries and sealant material sites 62 of the second series facilitateadherence to an overlaid shingle, e.g., to a shingle which overlays theroofing shingle 20 which bears the sealant material sites. As shown inFIG. 4, the sealant material sites 60 of the first series and sealantmaterial sites 62 of the second series each have essentially the sameshape or configuration, such as a rounded rectangle, e.g., a rectanglewith rounded or beveled corners. Other shapes and configurations arealso possible. In the example embodiment and mode shown in FIG. 4, eachsealant material site has sealant material site length 74 in the lengthdimension L, and a sealant material site width of 76 in the widthdimension W. Each of first sealant axis 66 and second sealant axis 68extend substantially through a center of the width of the sealantmaterial sites that are aligned along the respective axes.

In an example embodiment and mode shown in FIG. 4, with respect to thelength dimension L, a first site 62 ₁ of the second series of sealantmaterial sites 62 is substantially aligned between neighboring first andsecond sites 60 ₁, 60 ₂, respectively of the first series of sealantmaterial sites 60, and a second site 62 ₂ of the second series ofsealant material sites 62 which neighbors the first site 62 ₁ of thesecond series of sealant material sites 62 is substantially alignedbetween neighboring third and fourth sites 60 ₃, 60 ₄, respectively, ofthe first series of sealant material sites 60. This pattern may continueover the length of the shingle.

The second interval 72 which separates the sealant material sites 62 ofthe second series along the second axis 68 is thus different than thefirst interval 70 which separates the sealant material sites 60 of thefirst series along the first sealant axis 66. In an example embodimentand mode of FIG. 4, the second interval 72 is greater than the firstinterval 70. This means that the first series of sealant material siteshas more sealant material sites, and thus more sealant/adhesivematerial, than the second series of sealant material sites.

The difference between the second interval 72 and first interval 70offers several advantages. A first advantage is that a lower edge of theroofing shingle 20 is provided with greater adhesion potential, e.g.,greater attractive force to an overlying shingle. Provision of greatersealant/adhesion is beneficial since environmental forces such as windtend to pry beneath the overlying shingle from the lower edge of theunderlying roofing shingle 20, e.g., from the direction of the eaves orlower portion of the roof, e.g., in the direction E shown in FIG. 4.

A second advantage in having interval 72 be greater than interval 70 isthat a fewer number of sealant material sites 62 of the second seriessaves cost of production in requiring less sealant/adhesive material.

A third advantage in having interval 72 be greater than interval 70 isthat the greater second interval 72 for the sealant material sites 62 ofthe second series better promotes water drainage and dissipation, shouldwater or moisture leak between the roofing shingle 20 and an overlaidshingle. As shown in FIG. 4, any water or moisture on the roof is morelikely to ingress between shingles from the apex of the roof.Accordingly, water or moisture may drain in various downward directions,such as the directions of arrows M as shown in FIG. 4. With a greatersecond interval 72, and fewer sealant material sites 62 of the secondseries, there is less sealant blockage to water from above along thesealant material sites 62 of the second series, and thus better downwarddrainage opportunities. Minimizing moisture between shingles is veryimportant, even on roofs in which galvanized nails may be used toinstall the shingles.

As mentioned before, backing sheet first length edge 32 is substantiallyaligned with the first length edge 26 of the shingle. That is, thebacking sheet first length edge 32 is directly beneath the first lengthedge 26 of the shingle tabs 50 of web 22. However, since the backingsheet 30 has smaller width than web 22, the backing sheet rear lengthedge 34 underlies the web 22, and is preferably substantially alignedunder the web 22 with at least a lower edge 78 of the sealant materialsites 62 of the second series (see FIG. 4). As such, the edge 78 of thesealant material sites 62 essentially overlies backing sheet rear lengthedge 34. In some drawings, therefore, only one of backing sheet rearlength edge 34 or edge 78 of the sealant material sites 62 may be shownfor sake of simplicity.

Whereas the example embodiment and mode of FIG. 1-FIG. 7 shows thematerial sites 60 as being provided on face 24 of the web 22; FIG. 8shows the material sites as being provided on a rear surface of shingle20(8), such as backing sheet rear surface 38. All foregoing descriptionsof the sealant sites 60 of example embodiment and mode of FIG. 1-FIG. 7,including but not limited to the nature, configuration, intervals,composition, advantages, etc., are applicable also for the sealant sites60(8) and 62(8) of embodiment and mode of FIG. 8, except that thesealant cites 60(8) and 62(8) are provided along first sealant axis66(8) and second sealant axis 68(8) that are on the backing sheet rearsurface 38 rather than on web face 24. In the example embodiment andmode of FIG. 8, first sealant axis 66 is slightly spaced away from andparallel to the backing sheet first length edge 32 on the backing sheetrear surface 38, and second sealant axis 68 is slightly more spaced awayfrom and parallel to the backing sheet first length edge 32 on thebacking sheet rear surface 38.

The description of the sealant material sites 60 of the first series andthe sealant material sites 62 of the second series, and the firstinterval 70 and the second interval 72, has been described above in thecontext of a laminated roofing shingle 20 comprising two layers, e.g.,web 22 and backing sheet 30. It should be understood, however, that theconfiguration and arrangement of the sealant material sites 60 of thefirst series and sealant material sites 62 of the second series andtheir respective infra-series intervals 70, 72 may be applied to singlelayer shingles, and at least some of the comparable advantages may alsobe obtained in single layer shingles. For example, in an embodiment andmode corresponding to FIG. 1-FIG. 4, the sealant material sites 60 maybe provided on face 24 of a single layer shingle, or in an embodimentand mode corresponding to FIG. 8, the sealant material sites 60 may beprovided on a rear surface of a single layer shingle.

Another advantage of the roofing shingle 20 herein described is anenhanced nailing zone 80. In an example embodiment and mode, the one ormore cut-outs 40 of web 22 comprise a cut-out upper length edge 82 thatis parallel to the length dimension L of the shingle. The cut-out upperlength edges 82 of the plural cut-outs 40 are aligned along cut-out axis84 along the length dimension L of the roofing shingle 20. The nailingzone 80 extends between the edge 78 of the sealant material sites 62 andthe cut-out axis 84, and is defined by the left width edge 28, rightwidth edge 29, edge 78 of the sealant material sites 62, and cut-outaxis 84, as shown in FIG. 2-FIGS. 5 and 7. FIG. 4 differs from FIG. 5 byshowing the nailing zone 80 with hatching. Advantageously, applying anail in the nailing zone 80 causes the nail to penetrate both the web 22and the backing sheet 30 of the roofing shingle 20, as well as the toplap or upper portion of an underlying roofing shingle.

FIG. 6 shows that plural nails 86 may be utilized in the nailing zone 80to apply roofing shingle 20 to a roof, e.g., through underlaymentmembrane into a roof deck. For an example shingle of length dimensionL=42 and width W=14, in accordance with some local building coderegulations four nails 86 may be utilized. In such example embodiment, anailing zone distance Z (see, e.g., FIG. 2) of the nailing zone 80 inthe width dimension W from the cut-out axis 84 to the edge 78 of thesealant material sites 62 is substantially 1.5 inches. In an exampleimplementation, with respect to the width dimension of the shingle thenailing zone is distanced substantially six inches from the first lengthedge of the shingle. The nailing zone 80 as bounded by the cut-out axis84 and the edge 78 of the sealant material sites 62 is clearly visibleso that the installer may easily determine where to apply the nails 86.Moreover, the substantial size of the nailing zone 80 provides theinstaller with considerable latitude as to where to install the nails 86along the width dimension W of the roofing shingle 20. In addition, thesize of the nailing zone enables the installer to apply the nails 86 atany point within the nailing zone 80, and without regard to slope of theroof. In prior art roofing installation the slope of the roof was alimiting factor for placement of the nails, e.g., in order to assurethat the nail penetrated not only the roofing shingle 20 but also anunderlying shingle. The substantial nailing zone 80 of the technologydisclosed herein provides greater assurance that the nails 86 penetrateand secure the roofing shingle 20 and underlying shingles regardless ofroof slope.

The fact that the there are fewer sealant material sites 62 of thesecond series than sealant material sites 60 of the first seriesprovides an additional advantage of less possibility for the installerto accidentally insert a nail 86 through a sealant material site,thereby essentially substantially reducing the opportunity for theinstaller to gum up a nail gun by driving a nail through sealantmaterial/adhesive.

Each sealant material site 60 essentially serves as an anchor point foran adjacent shingle, whether an overlaying adjacent shingle in the caseof the example embodiment and mode of FIG. 1-FIG. 7, or an underlyingadjacent shingle in the case of the example embodiment and mode of FIG.8. In one of its example aspects various embodiments and modes ofroofing shingles described herein have a predetermined number ofdiscontinuous sealant material sites 60 chosen, located, and/or formedto avoid interference with fasteners such as nails 86. In an exampleimplementation, the predetermined number of discontinuous sealantmaterial sites 60 is chosen to exceed a ratio relative to a number ofnails per shingle required by local building regulations. Thepredetermined number of discontinuous sealant material sites 60 of theshingles described herein is in a ratio of at least 3:1 to the number ofnails per shingle required by local building regulations. For example,in a high-wind or storm/hurricane area, local building regulations mayrequire six nails per shingle. Accordingly, in an example embodiment andmode, the predetermined number of discontinuous sealant material sites60 is eighteen or more. More preferably, for a shingle having lengthL=42, the ratio may exceed 5:1, with a preferred number of discontinuoussealant material sites 60 being thirty-two.

FIG. 9 shows another example embodiment and mode of shingle 20(9) thatincludes sealant material sites 60, but only the first series of sealantmaterial sites 60. The example embodiment and mode of FIG. 9 differsfrom the example embodiment and mode of FIG. 1-FIG. 7, or the exampleembodiment and mode of FIG. 8, only by omission of the second series 62of sealant material sites. In all other respects the shingle 20(9) ofFIG. 9 is essentially identical to the shingle 20 of the embodiment andmode of FIG. 1-FIG. 7 or the shingle 20(8) of FIG. 8. The exampleembodiment and mode of FIG. 9 shows a shingle having at least eighteendiscontinuous sealant material sites 60. For a shingle having length Lof substantially 42, at least eighteen and preferably substantially 32sealant material sites 60 are provided. The number of discrete sealantmaterial sites 60 thus afford sufficient sealing with an adjacentshingle, but are numbered in a manner to avoid likelihood of beingnailed through so as to avoid interfering with the nailing attachment.

In another of its aspects the technology disclosed herein concernsmethods of installing roofing shingles on a roof. The methods describedherein may be applicable to any of the example embodiment and modes ofshingles herein described, such as, for example, shingle 20, shingle20(8), and shingle 20(9). Each of the shingles comprises a webconfigured with a length dimension of L=C*I units of measure, L and Ibeing even integers of a measurement unit and C being an odd integer ofthe measurement unit. FIG. 11 shows example acts or steps involved in ageneric mode of a roofing method. The generic mode of FIG. 11 and othermodes such as FIG. 12 described herein refer to courses of installationand offsets or increments. In general, a “course” of shingles can beconceptualized as a row of shingles extending in a length direction ofthe roof, with each course of row progressing from, e.g., at leastpartially overlapping, a previous course in a direction from the eavesto the peak of the roof.

Act 11-1 comprises, for a first course of installation, applying anentire shingle to the underlayment of the roof. It should be understoodthat, if the method begins near the eaves of the roof, a starter shinglemay have first been applied in customary manner. As using herein,“applying” or “application” may refer to any technique of affixing orsecuring the roofing shingle 20 to the roof, such as by using afastener, such as nails 86 or staples, for example.

Act 11-2 comprises, for each of X=2, . . . J courses of installation, Jbeing an integer, two sub-acts, e.g, sub-act 11-2(a) and sub-act11-2(b). Sub-act 11-2(a) comprises forming from an X^(th) shingle, anX^(th) shingle major portion having a length L−((X−1)*I) and a X^(th)shingle minor portion having a length L−L−((X−1)*I. Sub-act 11-2(b)comprises applying the Xth shingle major portion over at least a portionof an (X−1)^(th) shingle major portion, e.g., a shingle major portion ofthe underlying shingle of the previous course, and to the underlayment.

Act 11-3 comprises, for each of Y=J+1, . . . C courses of installation,applying one of the X^(th) shingle minor portions over at least aportion of course Y−1 and to the underlayment. In the method of FIG. 11,edges of the shingle major portions and shingle minor portions appliedfor courses 2−C are preferably substantially aligned in the lengthdimension with an edge of the entire shingle applied for the firstcourse.

In generic embodiment and mode may further comprise applying the shinglemajor portions and the shingle minor portions of the respective coursesby affixing or nailing the shingle major portions and the shingle minorportions in a nailing zone of the respective shingle major portions andthe shingle minor portions.

In the generic and other example embodiment and modes, the methodfurther comprises, after performing acts (1)-(3), applying one or moreentire shingles to each of the C courses to abut or overlap a shingle, ashingle major portion, or a shingle minor portion already in therespective course, to fill out the longitudinal dimension of the roofalong the respective course. The method may further optionally compriseinstalling further courses up the roof toward the peak according to acts(1)-(3).

FIG. 12 shows how the generic method of FIG. 11 can be implemented usinga particular roofing shingle, such as shingle 20, shingle 20(8), orshingle 20(9), for example. In the FIG. 12 example, a ratio of thelength dimension L of the shingle to the width dimension W of theshingle is 3:1. The web 22 of each shingle is configured with a width Win a width dimension, and wherein W=L/3. In an example implementation, alength of the shingle along the length dimension is 42 inches and awidth of the shingle along the width dimension is 13 inches. In theexample implementation of FIG. 12, the length of the second interval 72is three inches and the length of the first interval 70 is one inch. Assuch, a ratio of the second interval 72 to the first interval 70 may be3:1. In the example embodiment and mode of FIG. 12, the sealant materialsites of the first series and the second series have a length 74 in thelength dimension of substantially 1 inch and a width 76 in the widthdimension of substantially ⅜ inch. The nailing zone distance Z issubstantially 1.5 inches.

Thus, in the example embodiment and mode of FIG. 12, L=42, C=7, and I=6.The method of FIG. 12 further comprises the following acts 9-(i) through9-(vii):

9-(i): for the first course of installation, applying an entire firstshingle 20-9-1 to the underlayment of the roof.

9-(ii) for the second course of installation, removing a 6 inch lengthof a second shingle 20-9-2 and applying a remaining 36 inch portion ofthe second shingle over a portion of the first shingle 20-9-1 and to theunderlayment whereby along the length dimension an edge of the firstshingle 20-9-1 is substantially aligned with an edge of the remaining 36inch portion of the second shingle 20-9-2.

9-(iii) for the third course of installation, removing a 12 inch lengthof a third shingle 20-9-3 and applying a remaining 30 inch portion ofthe third shingle 20-9-3 over a portion of the 36 inch portion of thesecond shingle 20-9-2 and to the underlayment whereby along the lengthdimension an edge of the 36 inch portion of the second shingle 20-9-2 issubstantially aligned with an edge of the remaining 30 inch portion ofthe third shingle 20-9-3.

9-(iv) for the fourth course of installation, removing an 18 inch lengthof a fourth shingle 20-9-4 and applying a remaining 24 inch portion ofthe fourth shingle 20-9-4 over a portion of the 30 inch portion of thethird shingle 20-9-3 and to the underlayment whereby along the lengthdimension an edge of the 30 inch portion of the third shingle 20-9-3 issubstantially aligned with an edge of the remaining 24 inch portion ofthe fourth shingle 20-9-4.

9-(v) for the fifth course of installation, applying a removed 18 inchlength of shingle 20-9-4′ over a portion of the 24 inch portion of thefourth shingle 20-9-4 and to the underlayment whereby along the lengthdimension an edge of the 24 inch portion of the fourth shingle 20-9-4 issubstantially aligned with an edge of the removed 18 inch length ofshingle 20-9-4′.

9-(vi) for the sixth course of installation, applying a removed 12 inchlength of shingle 20-9-3′ over the removed 18 inch length of shingle20-9-4′ and to the underlayment whereby along the length dimension anedge of the removed 18 inch length of shingle 20-9-4′ is substantiallyaligned with an edge of the removed 12 inch length of shingle 20-9-3′.

9-(vii) for the seventh course of installation, applying a removed 6inch length of shingle 20-9-2′ over the removed 12 inch length ofshingle 20-9-3′ and to the underlayment whereby along the lengthdimension an edge of the removed 12 inch length of shingle 20-9-3′ issubstantially aligned with an edge of the removed 6 inch length ofshingle 20-9-2′.

In an example implementation, the removed 18 inch length of shingle20-9-4′ is removed from the fourth shingle 20-9-4; the removed 12 inchlength of shingle 20-9-3′ is removed from the third shingle 20-9-3; andthe removed 6 inch length of shingle 20-9-2′ is removed from the secondshingle 20-9-2.

As mentioned above, the method of the example embodiment and mode ofFIG. 12 may further comprise applying one or more entire shingles toeach of the seven courses to abut a shingle, a shingle major portion, ora shingle minor portion already in the respective course, to fill outthe longitudinal dimension of the roof along the respective course. Themethod of FIG. 12 may further optionally comprise installing furthercourses up the roof toward the peak according to acts (1)-(3) of FIG.11.

In the example embodiment and mode of FIG. 12, 56 shingles are installedper average square with substantially no shingle waste. On average,eight fewer shingles are utilized per square. Thus, on a 40 squarejob/roof, the example embodiment and mode requires 6400 fewer nails, 320fewer shingles, and 2-4 hours less in installation time.

A shingle of length L being substantially 42 and width W ofsubstantially 14 has several advantages, as understood from theforegoing. Another example advantage is that the plural packages 90 ofshingles may be stored in a substantially square pattern on a loading orstorage pallet 92, for example. For example, FIG. 10 shows storing threesuch packages 90 of shingles abreast on a square pallet 92. Successivelayers of shingle packages 90 may be stacked above the base or lowestrow of shingles, preferably with differing orientation of packagelayers. For example, the lowest or base layer may be in a north-southorientation, with the next highest layer being in an east-westorientation, and a yet succeeding (third) layer being in the north-southorientation. Any number of layers may be stacked in this manner, eachlayer being essentially square in footprint. The number of layers may bechosen so as to give the entire pallet load a cubic shape. Storage ofpackages 90 of shingles in an essentially perfect square facilitateseven weight distribution from successively layers that may stacked onthe pallet 92. Even weight distribution is preferable to have imbalanceor partial overhang of a packages 90 of shingles, particularly in viewof the thermoplastic nature of the shingles, so as not to damageshingles.

As used herein, “lower” generally connotes a lower direction, e.g., inthe direction of eves of a roof, rather than apex. Conversely, “upper”or “higher” refers to an apex direction of a roof. Such terms areunderstood to include reference to orientation of a shingle as theshingle is intended to be installed on a roof. Further, any reference to“substantially” or “essentially” or “approximately” in terms of distanceor dimension or displacement means within 0.50 inch, plus or minus. Whennot used in terms of length, these words mean plus or minus 5% of theproperty or quantity mentioned.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the technology disclosedherein but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presentlypreferred embodiments of the technology disclosed herein. Thus the scopeof the technology disclosed herein should be determined by the appendedclaims and their legal equivalents. Additionally, it is intended thatsuch equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well asequivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed thatperform the same function, regardless of structure. Therefore, it willbe appreciated that the scope of the technology disclosed herein fullyencompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilledin the art, and that the scope of the technology disclosed herein isaccordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, inwhich reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean“one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one ormore.” All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to theelements of the above-described preferred embodiment that are known tothose of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein byreference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims.Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each andevery problem sought to be solved by the technology disclosed herein,for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element,component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to bededicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, ormethod step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element hereinis to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixthparagraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase“means for.”

What is claimed is:
 1. A roofing shingle comprising: a web of roofingmaterial configured with a length dimension and a width dimension; afirst series of sealant material sites provided on the shingle, thesealant material sites of the first series being provided along a firstaxis which is essentially parallel to the length dimension of the web;the sealant material sites of the first series being discontinuous alongthe first axis and separated from one another along the first axis by afirst interval; a second series of sealant material sites provided onthe shingle, the sealant material sites of the second series beingprovided along a second axis which is essentially parallel to the lengthdimension of the web and spaced apart from the first axis with respectto the width dimension; the sealant material sites of the second seriesbeing discontinuous along the second axis and separated from one anotheralong the second axis by a second interval, the second interval beingdifferent than the first interval.
 2. The roofing shingle of claim 1,wherein both the first series of sealant material sites and the secondseries of sealant material sites are provided a face of the shingle. 3.The roofing shingle of claim 1, wherein both the first series of sealantmaterial sites and the second series of sealant material sites areprovided on a rear surface of the shingle.
 4. The roofing shingle ofclaim 1, wherein the second interval is greater than the first interval.5. The roofing shingle of claim 1, wherein a first edge of the shinglealong the length dimension comprises at least one cut-out to form atleast one tab, and wherein with respect to the width dimension of theshingle the second series of sealant material sites is farther than thefirst series of sealant material sites to the first length edge of theshingle.
 6. The roofing shingle of claim 5, further comprising a backingsheet secured to an lower surface of the web, the lower surface of theweb being opposite the face of the web, the backing sheet beingconfigured with essentially a same length dimension as the web but witha smaller width dimension than the web, a first length edge of thebacking sheet being aligned with the first length edge of the shingleand a second length edge of the backing sheet being substantiallyaligned under the web with at least an edge of the sealant materialsites of the second series.
 7. The roofing shingle of claim 5, whereinthe at least one cut-out comprises a cut-out length edge that isparallel to the length dimension of the shingle, and wherein a nailingzone distance of a nailing zone in the width dimension from the cut-outlength edge to the second series of sealant material sites issubstantially 1.5 inches.
 8. The roofing shingle of claim 7, whereinwith respect to the width dimension of the shingle the nailing zone issubstantially six inches from the first length edge of the shingle. 9.The roofing shingle of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the length dimensionof the shingle to the width dimension of the shingle is 3:1.
 10. Theroofing shingle of claim 9, wherein a length of the shingle along thelength dimension is 42 inches and a width of the shingle along the widthdimension is 13 inches.
 11. The roofing shingle of claim 10, wherein afirst length edge of the shingle along the length dimension comprises atleast one cut-out to form at least one tab, and wherein an extent of thetab from the first length edge of the shingle in the width dimension ofthe shingle is 6 inches.
 12. The roofing shingle of claim 1, wherein aratio of length of the second interval to the first interval is 3:1. 13.The roofing shingle of claim 12, wherein the length of the secondinterval is three inches and the length of the first interval is oneinch.
 14. The roofing shingle of claim 1, wherein the sealant materialsites of the first series and the second series have a length in thelength dimension of substantially 1 inch and a width in the widthdimension of substantially ⅜ inch.
 15. The roofing shingle of claim 1,wherein with respect to the length dimension a first site of the secondseries of sealant material sites is substantially aligned betweenneighboring first and second sites of the first series of sealantmaterial sites, and a second site of the second series of sealantmaterial sites which neighbors the first site of the second series ofsealant material sites is substantially aligned between neighboringthird and fourth sites of the first series of sealant material sites.16. A method of installing roofing shingles on a roof, each of theshingles comprising a web configured with a length dimension of L=C*Iunits of measure, L and I being even integers of a measurement unit andC being an odd integer of the measurement unit, the method comprising:(1) for a first course of installation, applying an entire shingle tothe underlayment of the roof; (2) for each of X=2, . . . J courses ofinstallation, J being an integer: a. forming from an Xth shingle: i. anXth shingle major portion having a length L−((X−1)*I); and ii. an Xthshingle minor portion having a length L−L−((X−1)*I); b. applying the Xthshingle major portion over at least a portion of an X−1th shingle majorportion and to the underlayment; (3) for each of Y=J+1, . . . C coursesof installation, applying one of the Xth shingle minor portions over atleast a portion of course Y−1 and to the underlayment; (4) wherein edgesof the shingle major portions and shingle minor portions applied forcourses 2−C are substantially aligned in the length dimension with anedge of the entire shingle applied for the first course.
 17. The methodof claim 16, wherein the web of each shingle is configured with a widthW in a width dimension, and wherein W=L/3.
 18. The method of claim 16,wherein each shingle comprises: a first series of sealant material sitesprovided on the shingle, the sealant material sites of the first seriesbeing provided along a first axis which is essentially parallel to thelength dimension of the web, the sealant material sites of the firstseries being discontinuous along the first axis and separated from oneanother along the first axis by a first interval; a second series ofsealant material sites provided on the shingle, the sealant materialsites of the second series being provided along a second axis which isessentially parallel to the length dimension of the web and spaced apartfrom the first axis with respect to the width dimension; the sealantmaterial sites of the second series being discontinuous along the secondaxis and separated from one another along the second axis by a secondinterval, the second interval being different than the first interval; abacking sheet secured to an lower surface of the web, the lower surfaceof the web being opposite a face of the web, the backing sheet beingconfigured with essentially a same length dimension as the web but witha smaller width dimension than the web, a first length edge of thebacking sheet being aligned with the first length edge of the shingleand a second length edge of the backing sheet being substantiallyaligned under the web with at least an edge of the sealant materialsites of the second series; wherein the at least one cut-out comprises acut-out length edge that is parallel to the length dimension of theshingle, and wherein the method further comprises: applying the shinglemajor portions and the shingle minor portions of the respective coursescomprises nailing the shingle major portions and the shingle minorportions in a nailing zone of the respective shingle major portions andthe shingle minor portions; and wherein the nailing zone extendssubstantially 1.5 inches in the width dimension from the cut-out lengthedge to the second series of sealant material sites.
 19. The method ofclaim 16, wherein L=42, C=7, and I=6.
 20. The method of claim 19,wherein the method further comprises: for the first course ofinstallation, applying the entire first shingle to the underlayment ofthe roof; for the second course of installation, removing a 6 inchlength of a second shingle and applying a remaining 36 inch portion ofthe second shingle over a portion of the first shingle and to theunderlayment whereby along the length dimension an edge of the firstshingle is substantially aligned with an edge of the remaining 36 inchportion of the second shingle; for the third course of installation,removing a 12 inch length of a third shingle and applying a remaining 30inch portion of the third shingle over a portion of the 36 inch portionof the second shingle and to the underlayment whereby along the lengthdimension an edge of the 36 inch portion of the second shingle issubstantially aligned with an edge of the remaining 30 inch portion ofthe third shingle; for the fourth course of installation, removing an 18inch length of a fourth shingle and applying a remaining 24 inch portionof the fourth shingle over a portion of the 30 inch portion of the thirdshingle and to the underlayment whereby along the length dimension anedge of the 30 inch portion of the third shingle is substantiallyaligned with an edge of the remaining 24 inch portion of the fourthshingle; for the fifth course of installation, applying a removed 18inch length of shingle over a portion of the 24 inch portion of thefourth shingle and to the underlayment whereby along the lengthdimension an edge of the 24 inch portion of the fourth shingle issubstantially aligned with an edge of the removed 18 inch length ofshingle; for the sixth course of installation, applying a removed 12inch length of shingle over the removed 18 inch length of shingle and tothe underlayment whereby along the length dimension an edge of theremoved 18 inch length of shingle is substantially aligned with an edgeof the removed 12 inch length of shingle; for the seventh course ofinstallation, applying a removed 6 inch length of shingle over theremoved 12 inch length of shingle and to the underlayment whereby alongthe length dimension an edge of the removed 12 inch length of shingle issubstantially aligned with an edge of the removed 6 inch length ofshingle.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein: the removed 18 inch lengthof shingle is removed from the fourth shingle; the removed 12 inchlength of shingle is removed from the third shingle; and the removed 6inch length of shingle is removed from the second shingle.
 22. Themethod of claim 16, further comprising: after performing acts (1)-(4),applying one or more entire shingles to each of the C courses to abut ashingle, a shingle major portion, or a shingle minor portion already inthe respective course; optionally installing further courses accordingto acts (1)-(4); wherein 56 shingles are installed per average squarewith substantially no shingle waste.
 23. A roofing shingle comprising: aweb of roofing material configured with a length dimension and a widthdimension; at least a first series of sealant material sites provided onthe shingle, the sealant material sites of the first series beingprovided along a first axis which is essentially parallel to the lengthdimension of the web; the sealant material sites of the first seriesbeing discontinuous along the first axis and separated from one anotheralong the first axis by a first interval; and wherein a number ofsealant material sites provided on the shingle is equal to or greater18.
 24. The roofing shingle of claim 23, wherein a ratio of the lengthdimension of the shingle to the width dimension of the shingle is 3:1;and wherein the length dimension is substantially 42 inches.